Rip got up for work early the next morning. Beth rolled away from him when he got up and Katie slept through it. He knew Beth was probably annoyed at him for not telling her what he had been up to. He felt a bit guilty himself for not following through on taking Katie for a ride.
Downstairs he made himself a coffee and grabbed an apple. Katie made her way down the stairs with her stuffed horse and sat on the couch.
"What are you doin' cowgirl?" Rip asked watching her curl up on the couch.
"Nothing." Katie told him, looking at her horse.
Rip went and sat next to her on the couch with his coffee. "How about we go for a ride later on?" He suggested.
Katie shook her head. "I don't wanna."
Rip was surprised by this. "How come?"
Katie shrugged her shoulders. "Words, Katie." Rip told her.
"I want Mama." Katie told him, getting up from the couch. Rip sighed, putting her behaviour down to her being tired as it was out of character.
"Come here." Rip said as she tried to get past him. She turned to look at him and he noticed tears in her eyes.
"What's going on?" Rip pulled her in close to him and put his coffee down.
"I want Mama!" Katie said more firmly.
"All right then." Rip said, he could sense a meltdown coming on and he did not feel like dealing with that this early.
"What's going on?" Beth said from the top of her stairs in her dressing gown. "It's fucking night time."
Katie squirmed against Rip getting herself free before running up the stairs, Beth catching her on the last one when she nearly tripped.
"Slow down baby." Beth said before noticing a few tears on her cheeks. "What happened?"
Rip held his hands up and shook his head and Katie put her head against Beth's thigh.
"I'm going to work." Rip tipped the rest of his coffee down the sink before putting his mug in the sink. By this point Katie had sat down on the step by Beth's feet who had her hand resting on her hip.
"Whatever Rip." Beth said unimpressed. "Katie, hop up and come with me." Katie stood and followed Beth down the stairs.
Rip grabbed his hat and left, slamming the door on the way out. "What is his problem." Beth muttered.
"On the couch Katie." Beth pointed to her, watching her trudge over and sit on the edge. Beth sat on the coffee table across from her.
"Talk to me. What happened?"
"Daddy asked if I want to go riding and I said no and he asked why and I said I don't wanna." Katie told her. Beth was trying to make sense of it in her head but was confused as well.
"Ok baby, do you not like riding anymore?" Beth asked her. Katie shrugged her shoulders.
"We don't go anymore when Daddy says." Beth nodded understanding more.
"I wanna be with you." Beth wasn't sure what Katie meant by that.
"Honey, Mama has to work sometimes." Beth rubbed Katie's back and wiped the tear drops from her cheeks.
"I'm scared." Katie told her wiping her nose on Beth's dressing gown. Beth grimaced at the snot but said nothing, wanting Katie to tell her.
"Of what baby?"
"You and Daddy dying. It's happened before." Katie told her.
Beth closed her eyes and took a breath realising the issue was Katie being scared and afraid of people not keeping their word. Beth pulled Katie on to her lap before turning and sitting in the corner of the couch, she cradled Katie close.
"Let me tell you something about me Katie. My Mama died when I was young too and it hurt a lot. You've already lost one set of parents which hurts your heart. I'm gonna do everything I can to make sure Daddy and I are around for a very long time. So much that you'll be sick of us both. I want you to come to us when you're feeling scared and angry and happy and sad." Katie nodded against Beth's chest where she was wrapped in tightly to.
"Why don't you and I go on a little ride." Beth said hesitantly but knew it would make Katie feel better. Katie shook her head no.
"All right. That's ok. We can go for a walk then." Beth put Katie down before getting up stiffly.
Beth clipped Katie's helmet on before wrapping her rain coat around her and helping her on her bike. She wrapped a large coat around herself and grabbed her hat before walking up towards the lodge. Katie road for a third of the way before having had enough.
"You'll have to walk Katie." She nodded at Beth before trying to get her helmet off.Beth decided to leave the bike and helmet by the road and they would get it later.
Katie walked a few paces behind Beth, starting to complain by the time they got to the stables.
"Hey! Cut that out. I told you, you'd have to walk." Beth scolded lightly. Katie's bottom lip threatened to fall, Beth was tempted to let her have a cry but thought about this morning and decided differently.
"No tears, it's ok." Beth cupped Katie's face in the hand at her height before kissing her cheek. Katie nodded, looking away.
She tapped Beth's leg. "Can we go Mama?" She asked softly.
"You want to go to the stables. Ok, hold my hand though." It was just as much for Beth's reassurance than Katie's safety around the stables.
The pair walked into the stables and looked at all the horses together, Katie feeding some apple to them that Beth had found. "Why don't you like them?" Katie asked Beth quietly.
"That's a story for another time Katie." Beth told her leaving no room for further discussion.
"Ok." Katie sighed, "will you still ride with me? No Daddy."
"You know your Daddy will be upset with that." Beth replied ignoring the question. Katie looked at her knowing that would be the case before turning away. Beth smirked at her cunningness.
"You really do take after me huh." Beth said. She was pretty proud of the fact that Katie had managed to work out how to get the best for her out of that situation.
"Can I say hi to Walker?" Katie pointed him across the ranch where he was sitting polishing boots. Beth nodded before Katie ran off.
"HI WALKER." Katie yelled colliding into his chest at full speed.
He hissed in pain before saying hello through gritted teeth.
"What's wrong?" Katie asked confused why Walker made a funny noise and was holding his chest.
"Nothing kid. What are you doing?" He asked her trying to act normal. Beth noticed this from a distance as she approached. It was a familiar sight to her.
"Nothing much. Mama is coming." Katie told him as he stood and picked up some boots.
"Show me then." Beth said to him as she got closer. Walker looked at her startled.
"Dunno what you mean."
"Open your goddamn shirt Walker." Beth said. Katie looked between the two adults unsure what was going on.
Walker undid the first three buttons of his shirt exposing the red, raw, burnt brand now marking his chest.
"Daddy has that." Katie pointed out.
"I fucking knew it." Beth said. Walker did the buttons of his shirt up and went back to work.
"Fucking knew what Mama?" Katie asked.
"Hey! No swearing." Beth looked at her sternly, Katie avoided eye contact knowing better.
"I knew Rip was up to something." Beth said more to herself than anything. She headed up to the lodge with Katie trailing behind.
"Hi Gator. I'm just gonna make us breakfast." Beth said starting with the coffee machine.
"Sure. There is breakfast on the table still with Mr Dutton if you want to join?" Gator told them both. Katie bounced excitedly.
"You go Katie, I'll be through shortly." Katie left without a second glance back whilst Beth enjoyed a few quiet mouthfuls of coffee.
She found Katie sitting with her dad picking at pieces of bacon and cut up orange.
"Morning honey." John greeted her.
"Morning Dad. Katie you need to eat more than bacon and orange." Beth sat in her usual seat, Katie looked at the plate and then Beth before eating some more.
"Did you know?" Beth asked John.
"You'll have to give me more than that to work with Beth. Did I know what?"
"Last night. The brand." Beth said. Katie slipped off John's knee and climbed on to Beth with her sticky hands. Beth didn't take her eyes off John as she wiped Katie's hands with a wet napkin.
"I did." John told her.
"Why make him give it out? Surely you could do that yourself. You managed fine with Kayce and Rip."
John had no clue how she found out or why it mattered to her. He nodded opting to say nothing. Katie could feel the tension and turned to face Beth leaving a slobbery kiss of her cheek before putting her head in the crook of Beth's neck.
"Could we just enjoy each other's company please?" John said exasperated.
"Oh Daddy. We are going. You have fun today." Beth said leaving him alone at the table.
"Riding now?" Katie asked hoping for a yes.
"Come on then." Beth walked to the stables and got an older horse out and grabbed a saddle.
"I can saddle her for you." Walker called out.
"All good. I've got it." Beth waved him off trying to remember how to do it. She managed to stumble her way through it before putting Katie on the horse. She got on behind Katie who was nearly bouncing out of the saddle.
"Calm down baby." Beth told her gently. Beth gently kicked for the horse to go out in to the corral. "How about we go along the river?" Beth suggested, Katie nodded eagerly happy to be on a horse and more so with Beth.
They were crossing the corral to the river bank when Rip came galloping over.
"What are you both doing?" He called out.
"What's it look like?" Beth replied dryly.
"I thought she didn't want to ride after this morning?" Rip commented.
"No Rip, she didn't want to ride with you. She didn't want another promise broken." Beth knew her words would hurt him and she could see it in his face. He always did his best to keep his word and rarely broke it.
"I know what you did last night, Rip. We saw." Beth told him.
Rip looked between the two of them. Inside he was pissed, he considered himself a man of his word but to have his own kid not want to do their favourite activity together because he had missed a couple of times hurt.
"Beth is my fucking job. I have to do stuff that you both aren't going to like. I thought you understood that." Rip retorted pulling his horse close to theirs.
"Just stop over there and let's talk." Rip said. "Don't make life harder, Beth." She shot him a look to say otherwise and Rip thought he could have chosen better words.
Katie looked back up at Beth with a sad look in her eyes, "is Daddy mad?"
Beth sighed, "only at me honey." Beth told her.
"Hey Daddy!" Rip turned hearing Katie call him. "Don't be mean to my Mama." Katie had a furrowed brow and a little angry face when telling Rip off.
Rip chuckled at how serious she was before getting off his horse and approaching theirs.
"Darlin' your Mama makes everyday more difficult but I wouldn't change a thing. I'm not mad." Rio told them both. Katie looked at his and back to Beth to see her face. She noticed a small smile on Beth's lips and relaxed.
"Just get off the damn horse would you Beth." Rip said taking the reins. Beth got off surprisingly easily for someone who didn't like riding. Katie lent forward forcing Beth to catch her otherwise she would fall off the horse.
Rip had found a spot to sit by the riverbank and patted the ground next to him. Beth sat down but Katie stood with her arms crossed looking at Rip.
"Come here cowgirl." Rip said with open arms. Katie looked at him before deciding to go to Beth instead.
"Really." Rio said to Beth who nodded.
"Can I go in the water?" Katie asked.
"Just your toes." Beth told her. Katie pulled off her boots and socks and walked to the waters edge.
"How can I fix this Beth." Rip asked as they watched Katie dip her feet in.
"Katie's scared Rip. She told me this morning, scared we'll die. That's something we just have to show her isn't going to happen soon. Just show up for her when you say you will." Rip nodded at Beth's words.
"And you?" Rip asked.
"I thought we agreed no secrets and yet you still don't tell me what's going on." Beth said looking at him.
"I'm trying to protect you. And her! That's the only thing that matters, that you both are safe." Rio said looking at Beth's face trying to gauge her reaction.
"IT'S SO COLD!" Katie squealed.
Rip sat up from where he was lying and looked at Katie who was now fully wet.
"Fucks sake." He said under his breath. Beth closed her eyes for a second before dealing with the situation.
"Katie Wheeler. What did we say?" Beth sternly asked. Katie stopped dead in her tracks, eyes bulging looking at both her parents.
"I... uhh..." Katie mumbled. Beth raised an eyebrow waiting for a response. "Not to go past my toes." She mumbled looking at her feet.
"Why didn't you listen. Now you're going to have wet clothes and be very cold on the ride back." Beth told her. Katie wiped the water from her face and sat down away from them looking out to the river. Rip got up and grabbed a blanket he had tied to the saddle. He held it open to wrap Katie in it and keep her a bit warmer.
"It's itchy." Katie told him.
"Well if you did as you were told, you wouldn't be in this situation." Rip told her. Katie pouted but said nothing opting to sit between Beth and Rip watching the river run.
The three sat like that for a while until Katie's teeth started to chatter. "We should go back." Beth said.
Rip stood up and held his hand out to Katie. She reached her arms out to him losing the blanket. He quickly picked her up and wrapped her in the blanket before putting her in front of Beth on the horse.
"Take the horse home and put the fire on." Rio suggested, Beth nodded before they waved goodbye and left for home.
